Marketing my Rental with Pearl

User: None

Vendor: Pearl Certification

Action: 14 - Market my Green Home

In 2019 MassEnergize started partnering with Pearl Certification, a national program designed to help homeowners capture the value of their home’s environmentally friendly and efficient features when they sell the property. I was preparing to put my own home in Wayland on the rental market and offered it as a guinea pig for the pilot. . It is a modest ranch that has accumulated many energy-efficiency improvements over the years: insulation and efficient windows, a solar photovoltaic array, solar hot water, an efficient furnace and appliances, and a level-II charger for their electric vehicle. They sent a local Pearl trained inspector who conducted an in-depth, independent inventory examining the construction techniques, heating and cooling equipment, lighting, and ventilation. Turns out my home met Pearl’s stringent criteria and received a Pearl Gold Certification. They then issued a report showcasing the home’s “green” features and upgrades. Part of the package were glossy cards explaining the specific benefits of my home’s energy efficiency features. They explained not only the visible features like the solar PV and the solar hot water, but also invisible ones like attic and wall insulation and the high-quality heating system, outlining their benefits in comfort, efficiency, and cost savings. My realtor used these materials when showing my home, and it was rented out within six days! If you have an energy efficient home, you’ve invested top dollar. Realtors who tell you that that’s not worth anything on the market are wrong. But those who see the value often do not know how to market them. Pearl helps them do this. Let your realtor know about them, and the process is pretty simple!